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In
TRENDS IN LUXURY REAL ESTATE
Conversation
LUXURY REALESTATE DARCIE DUNCAN Broker and Owner, Duncan Real Estate
AS OUR REGION’S LUXURY REAL ESTATE CONTINUES TO EVOLVE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY FACTORS THAT ARE DRIVING TODAY’S MARKET? JUDI TAULBEE: Definitely price, quality and the incentives that builders and sellers are offering. Location is always key, as well. People like walkability with restaurants and shops nearby. A lot of people are looking for bundled golf communities, too. We have a lot of golfers here and buyers don’t want to leave their homes—they want everything all in the same place, other than going out for shopping. They want all of their amenities close by. DARCIE DUNCAN: It has a lot to do with lifestyle. People have hybrid work modes where they can work remotely so they can be flexible with ownership, whether they are looking for their primary residence or second or third home. We are seeing a lot of relocation too because of Midwest and Northeast taxes and because people want warmer weather. They’re looking at tax benefits and truly trying to slow down a little bit. The weather keeps us strong and the scarcity of
A CONVERSATION WITH DARCIE DUNCAN, DUNCAN REAL ESTATE AND JUDI TAULBEE, FINE PROPERTIES
good coastal property—there’s not much left of it, so, I do think that keeps our demand up as well. WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY MOTIVATIONS FOR LOCAL LUXURY REAL ESTATE BUYERS RIGHT NOW? DUNCAN: Here on the island, people like the family laid-back lifestyle. They see a community. They like being on an island, on a luxury waterfront, but still having accessibility outside of that that’s not far away. They like having an international airport, great restaurants and so much culture within reach. They like move-in-ready products that we have that make it easy. They also like the nice waterfront, big legacy properties for their families because everybody will come back here—it brings them together. Our big amenity here would be our community center, our art guild, those things that draw people into what we call the center of Anna Maria Island—our gathering place—and we’ve created that within our infrastructure here. Those are big driving factors for a lot of our buyers. TAULBEE: Again,
incentives. The lifestyles that are provided within the community, proximity to beaches, outdoor living, restaurants and a maintenance-free community because people don’t want to have to bother with their yards. A view is also important—a beautiful backyard view, a water or preserve view. Buyers are looking for easy and fun so they can just enjoy living. DESCRIBE THE USES OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE MARKETING AND SELLING OF A HOME AND HOW THIS HAS AFFECTED YOUR APPROACH TO WORKING WITH BUYERS AND SELLERS ALIKE. DUNCAN: The photography, the virtual staging, the creating of a lifestyle with 3D animation—people love that. It’s especially helpful when so many of our buyers or clients are not always here with boots on the ground. We use Matterport for house scans where you can step in and redesign the home yourself, so we’re using a lot of neat AI features, so to speak. We do all the social media, the emails and paid campaigns to make sure that we’re targeting the right audience and
JUDI TAULBEE Real Estate Agent, Fine Properties the right income levels and we use a lot of analytics in the background to make sure that we’re targeting our dollars in the right ways. I’m fascinated by AI—it’s all great and it keeps us on our toes—but at the end of the day, you need a personal touch and none of this will replace that. Technology makes us work smarter, not harder, but we’re never going to step back from the personal approach of this business. I don’t care what technology piece you use; you’re never going to learn the local knowledge that I have as a broker in the 35 years doing it and as someone who has lived here her whole life, as I have. TAULBEE: Technology has come a long way and it has transformed the whole buying process. With just like a click of a button, you can shop for homes anywhere in the world. Professional photos, 3D tours, virtual tours, drone footage, social media—these are all what helps sell a home. Basically, you can shop 24/7 from your TV, from your phone or any device. It’s all about convenience. Technology will never replace a personal relationship that you get with a realtor, though. Nothing can replace a human for
SRQ MAGAZINE BRANDED CONTENT PROGRAM | NOVEMBER 2026 | INTERVIEWED AND COMPILED BY BARBIE HEIT
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IN C ON VERSAT I ON DARCIE DUNCAN DUNCAN REAL ESTATE Darcie Duncan is a lifelong resident of Anna Maria Island. With more than 35 years of real estate experience, her knowledge of the Island extends beyond market trends to the history, character and community that make each part of it distinct. Her long-standing relationships, local insight and understanding of Anna Maria Island’s continued growth allow her to guide clients through an increasingly complex coastal real estate market. Darcie established Duncan Real Estate in 2001, growing the company from a one-person operation into a full-service real estate organization specializing in residential and commercial sales, vacation rental management, annual property management, Home Watch, maintenance and concierge services. Duncan Real Estate is now celebrating 25 years of serving Anna Maria Island and the surrounding communities. A Certified Residential Specialist, Graduate of the REALTOR® Institute, Accredited Buyer’s Representative and Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, Darcie combines extensive market knowledge with a direct, hands-on approach to client service. Darcie’s commitment extends well beyond real estate. Her record of community leadership includes serving as Chair of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. Her individual honors include the Spirit of Manatee Award, the Pat Glass Community Leadership Award, Distinguished Citizen of the Year, Small Business Person of the Year and Business Person of the Year. Under her leadership, Duncan Real Estate has also been recognized as Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year and Manatee Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year.
SRQ MAGAZINE | TRENDS IN LUXURY REAL ESTATE
personal attention, communication and guidance. Technology gives tools to the buyer, but they still need someone to help with negotiating and going through the whole process. Technology is great for when you’re shopping for a home, but when you do find that home, you need the right realtor to get you through the whole process. NEW CONSTRUCTION AND LUXURY DEVELOPMENT CONTINUE TO RESHAPE THE REGION. WHAT OPPORTUNITIES—AND CHALLENGES—DO YOU SEE AS DEVELOPERS RESPOND TO CHANGING BUYER EXPECTATIONS, CONSTRUCTION COSTS, INSURANCE CONSIDERATIONS AND THE LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF LAND? DUNCAN: I work with developers who are building very specific homes. We’ve got to find the right property, the right location, the walkability—all these little boxes to check. I’m still seeing a strong demand for that modern, more resilient move-in-ready home. So, as far as opportunities, I still see a demand for that. Buyers value the new building features like impact-rated construction, updated elevation standards, energy efficiency and sustainability features–those are great opportunities as builders and developers— especially spec builders—move forward. I think from a challenge perspective, it’s labor. You’ve also got the construction costs and builders have rising insurance costs. Flood regulation requirements are all great and wonderful but also more hoops for everyone to jump through which is time-consuming. Here, we also have three municipalities and three different sets of building departments to deal with. From a developer standpoint, the red tape and the changing of the guard make it challenging. Permitting timelines can also be tough for buyers who want to be here as soon as possible. TAULBEE: As everyone is aware, land is an issue because, especially in Sarasota County, there is no land left. That’s why everyone’s moving east and northeast. The
problem is also higher insurance costs because of what Florida has been through with hurricanes. Our costs are higher and in turn it’s higher for everyone, whether it’s the builder or the buyer–insurance costs are up. Buyers have to settle for smaller lots, compromising privacy, just to have a new home. Very few builders offer large lots because it’s not cost-effective. If you do want a larger lot and you do want privacy, you either have to buy something resale in an established community, or you have to go way out east. There are very few builders that you can find that will actually build on a large lot that gives you that privacy. TELL US ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS THAT SELLERS HAVE FOR YOU AS THEIR AGENT IN THE CURRENT LUXURY MARKET, AS WELL AS THE EXPECTATIONS OF BUYERS IN THE SAME SITUATION. TAULBEE: Pricing homes correctly and competitively is really important. Photography, including drone photography, best represents a home and best features a home. Buyers want an agent to be able to negotiate the price as well as the terms and repairs. Sellers do expect us to price their home properly and of course they always want to price it a little higher, but we always have to have that talk about being realistic in this market. The market is very good, better than it’s been in a couple of years. If your home is getting shown a lot, then you do have it priced right. But if it isn’t getting shown or it’s only getting shown maybe once every two weeks, then you have it overpriced. A home that’s priced right will go under contract. It is a buyer’s market, and the buyers are looking for deals. I do find that they are a little slower to pull the trigger on a home—they want to be sure. They’re very careful and they want to get the best deal and negotiate the best possible closing costs in that contract. DUNCAN: They want accurate pricing baced by actual data. In the couple of years prior to this, coming out of a COVID market and then recover-
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ing and then having hurricanes, we were challenged with pricing. But I think accurate pricing is important. People want high-quality marketing; they want broad exposure. My clients want strong negotiation, clear, concise answers. Communication is everything and that’s my specialty. People have a level of trust in me from the start because I’ve been doing it for so long. I like to sit down with my clients and make sure we understand each other’s goals. Then I can do my job for them when I understand what their expectations are. We’re very hands-on. We walk through these homes–we don’t just throw a lock box on a house. We are in the house with every single showing. Those are what make a difference for us in this market. And those are the expectations of a seller. For the buyers, it’s very much the same. When you’re investing this kind of money, you want to know they have an agent that understands the market and conditions. I don’t do this for a hobby; this is my career. I try to keep the process as stress-free as possible. I deal with financial advisors in the background, trust attorneys, good closing agents and I have a good team behind me, which makes all the difference in the world. WHEN A LUXURY PROPERTY IS COMPETING WITH OTHERS, WHAT SEPARATES THE HOMES THAT ATTRACT IMMEDIATE ATTENTION FROM THOSE THAT SIT LONGER—AND HOW SHOULD SELLERS RESPOND? DUNCAN: Homes that are going to move in a timely manner are priced appropriately from day one. These homes need to be professionally presented—staged and photographed properly. That’s a big piece of moving these houses—the turnkey condition of it. Homes that are sitting there are usually overpriced, they’re dated or they’re poorly presented.TAULBEE: Photos tell the story and the home has to be staged correctly. When I get a listing, no matter small or large, I go in and I stage it to be sure that it’s got clean lines and it looks good.
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IN C ON VERSAT I O N JUDI TAULBEE FINE PROPERTIES When Judi Taulbee stepped into real estate part-time in 2003, she likely didn’t imagine she would one day become one of the top-producing agents in the region, including at Fine Properties. Over the course of her career, Judi has assisted over 700 families in buying or selling their homes, generating $267,264,676 in total sales volume. She is currently ranked in the top 1% locally at #91 among more than 9,000 REALTORS® in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Her work has been featured multiple times in Forbes and SRQ Magazine, and most recently in Fortune magazine’s February/March 2026 issue, and 5 Star professional agent for 8 years, recognizing her as a leading real estate professional. For Judi, success has always been about more than recognition. When reflecting on what fueled her growth, she credits both technology and tenacity. Equally important is her work ethic and ability to manage the many moving parts of a transaction. The relationships she built over decades continue to generate referrals from people who know, like, and trust her. Behind every smooth closing is a team of professionals working in sync. Judi has spent years building a network of trusted vendors who align with her standards for communication, efficiency, and follow-through. By surrounding herself with experts who support both her business and her clients, she ensures that every detail, from inspections to repairs to financing, is handled with care. It’s a collaborative approach that protects her clients’ interests and strengthens the long-term relationships at the heart of her success. A proud Sarasota resident for 50 years, Judi was born in Miami before her family relocated in 1977. A er earning a degree in criminology, she worked in mortgages then obtained her real estate license in 2003. Judi is focused on real estate full-time, building a career rooted in meaningful relationships and results.
SRQ MAGAZINE | TRENDS IN LUXURY REAL ESTATE
Curb appeal is very important. You want to capture those people as soon as or before they even go in the door. Amenities are also important—people love amenities. JUDI, FOR FAMILIES MOVING TO OUR AREA CONSIDERING MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES FROM PARRISH TO LAKEWOOD RANCH, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THINGS THEY SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN LOOKING AT THEM AS THEY LOOK FOR ONE THAT IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR THEIR FAMILY? TAULBEE: Schools are probably top priority and we do have the best schools in those areas and probably among the best schools in the state. Families who move here want to have a safe place to go for their kids with an athletic center, which Lakewood Ranch does provide. They want close proximity to hospitals, restaurants, shopping—everything within a 10-minute ride. Although people love the beach, they realize that it’s expensive to live near the beach. Insurance costs are very high, but as far as a whole community goes, Lakewood Ranch and Parrish probably have the best communities for families with unlimited things to do. In Lakewood Ranch, there are farmers markets and Wednesday Nights at the Ranch, live music, food trucks, volleyball, cornhole and more. They have 70 different clubs that you can join for any kind of thing that you like to do. This is what people like and this is what they look for. The people that move to Florida want to live year-round outside doing things that they love to do. DARCIE, AS SOMEONE WHO SPECIALIZES IN ANNA MARIA ISLAND REAL ESTATE, YOU ARE UNIQUELY QUALIFIED AS AN EXPERT ON MARKET TRENDS AND TO FORECAST WHERE THE MARKET IS HEADED. PLEASE TELL OUR READERS YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ANNA MARIA ISLAND PROPERTIES WITH INFORMATION AND ADVICE FOR BOTH BUYERS AND SELLERS. DUNCAN: Our demand is still strong for pri-
mary and secondary homes and the rental market is not heavily driven by investors. What I am seeing in our market now is that people are looking at these more as primary homes. If there’s some rental income, great, but it’s not the main factor anymore. Our supply has come down dramatically post hurricane. I think for the island, having height limits where we don’t have big condos everywhere, is very attractive to our island in particular. I think insurance and things like that will be more of a challenge in general and that’s going to be for the overall market, not just a luxury home market. I foresee that we’re going to move through this market and through 2027 pretty stable and flat. I do not see a big jump in pricing, but I also like to point out that I don’t feel anybody lost value. People look at the market as a falling market but it really wasn’t. Here on the island, especially in the absolutely incredible resilient community we have, it has shown that our market in a coastal barrier island has held up strong through hurricanes. It hasn’t affected the value too much at all, so I feel positive for the market overall. Our rental side is doing very well too. As for the condo market, I think that’s where we’re going to see a big shift in the market with the changes to the underwriting that’ll be taking effect as of January of 27. I can’t foresee what that’s going to be, but I think it’s going to become more of a challenge for condominium buyers and sellers. On the positive side, a lot of these condos now have gone through such major revamping since the storms so people are walking into new structures where everything has been redone and they can have the good feeling of knowing they won’t be hit with a big assessment next year or the year after. JUDI, IN A REAL ESTATE MARKET AS DYNAMIC AS THIS ONE, WHAT KEY ADVANTAGES DO YOU PROVIDE THAT A BUYER OR SELLER SIMPLY CAN’T GET ON THEIR OWN, AND WHAT VALUE DO YOU BRING TO THE TABLE
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FOR YOUR CLIENTS? TAULBEE: It starts with the whole home shopping process. It includes negotiating and then, when the inspection is done, negotiating the repairs or credit to the buyer and making sure they have the right loan officer who is available all the time, all the way to the closing table. I have an electrician if you need one. I have a floor company if you need one. I have the handyman and the plumber. I provide my clients with guidance through the whole process. If you look at my Zillow reviews, all they talk about is how I provided all the right directions to go to get through the whole process because most people don’t know who to get for a home inspector or who to use for an electrician. All of these people I have worked with for years and they have my stamp of approval. It’s important for me to take people under my wing, and I treat them like family. Through the entire process, they remain important to me and I try to ensure that we get through seamlessly without any issues. DARCIE, WHAT SETS ANNA MARIA ISLAND APART FROM OTHER POSSIBLE DESTINATIONS FOR THE BUYERS OF LUXURY COASTAL FLORIDA REAL ESTATE? DUNCAN: It still has a small town old Florida feel. We don’t have any chain heavy, strip malls and franchise businesses, which is kind of rare versus other coastal markets. Our beaches are always ranked in the top in Florida and our sunsets are amazing. We’re walkable, bikable, golf cart friendly and we have a lot of little restaurants and shops that people love. We’re welcoming. We’re not hurried, you don’t feel like you’re in a big city. People come here for long-term value—and Anna Maria holds its value. Here, people step out and they see the beach and the most beautiful sunset, seagrass and white sand and that’s what they’re here for. This island is legacy to a lot of people. It brings everybody back. It’s the anchor of families for generations.
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